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KARAK, Dec 19: The residents of Makori in tehsil Banad Daud Shah staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday against non-provision of jobs in Discon, an oil and gas company, as promised by the government before start of work on oil projects in the area.

The protesters demanded of the authorities concerned to provide jobs to the local youth in the oil and gas company otherwise they would stop work forcibly on the projects in the area.

Scores of protesters led by former union council nazim Malik Raza Khan and Malik Shamiran marched to the offices of Discon and staged a sit-in there. They also chanted slogans against the government and the management of the company.

They alleged that Discon and other oil and gas companies recruited people from other areas instead of local people. They said that they were not against recruitment of non-locals but priority should be given to local people.

They said that employment ratio of local people was nominal in the oil and gas companies. The companies had practically denied the right of jobs to local people, they added.

The protesters said that they had complained to the high-ups of the companies time and again but to no avail. They said that they were forced to take to streets and protest the injustices meted to them.

They threatened to launch a full-fledged protest movement against the companies if their demands were not met within a week.

Later, the project manager of the company, Saqib Niazi, held negotiations with the elders and assured them that local people would be given preference in jobs in future.

STRIKE: The Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union observed complete pen down strike in the district on Wednesday.

Led by sub-divisional president of the union Peer Gul Zahir Shah, Peer Sabir Shah and Rehmanuddin, the protesters marched from Pesco offices to Saddam Chowk and block the road there.

Addressing on the occasion, the leaders of the protesters said that only few of their demands were accepted by the Wapda authorities. “Our real demands have still not been met,” they said. They threatened to continue their protest if all of their demands were not accepted.